Never looking like they were troubled, Westlake closed out a 87-71 win in their home opener against Alamo Heights Friday night.

Senior Evan Carcanagues’ 34 points weren’t enough for the Mules, and while they closed the gap to 10 with three minutes left in the game, they weren’t able to draw any nearer than that.

“We have to take care of the little things every possession,” Westlake head coach Robert Lucero said. “We got a little spread out defensively [near the end of the game], but maybe we needed to sub a little bit more early so we didn’t get as tired.”

The Chaps size inside was just too much to handle for an Alamo Heights team that’s tallest kid was listed at 6’5”. Junior Will Baker showed off his skills in the post and finished the game with 21 points, six of those coming in the first quarter alone, and added eight rebounds.

“My teammates just look for me, that’s the way the plays are set up,” he said. “They’re looking for me, so I’ll score for them. It helps my confidence, and it gets the team going.”

Offensively, Alamo Heights struggled to find a rhythm in the first half. Carcanagues scored 11 but didn’t have much help, and the second highest scorer for the half was Tyler Glover with six.

But a 20-point third quarter and 22-point fourth quarter showed signs of improvement, and head coach Andrew Brewer said he was happy with how the team competed even while down.

“I told them it’s like a playoff game in that, every little mistake you make, they’re going to take advantage of it,” he said. “You miss a box-out, that’s a dunk. You miss a close-out, that’s a three. You don’t talk on a ball-screen, and they get to the rim.”

The ball found its way to Carcanagues much more in the second half, and his attacking style of play was effective in not only creating and-one chances for him, but also opening up space for his teammates. However, poor three-point shooting by Alamo Heights especially near the end of the game would cost them.

“Our whole thing was, you can’t be scared going in,” Carcanagues said. “That’s the mentality we all brought to the floor, and it really showed. To lose by 16, I’m happy with that effort. If we clean up a few things, it’s a one possession game at the end.”